MOUNT BETHEL, Pa. (AP) — Investigators in eastern Pennsylvania say they've recovered the body of a 52-year-old man from the Delaware River.

State police say the body of Dunmore resident Mark Griffin was found in the river Tuesday morning in Upper Mount Bethel Township. Investigators say the death doesn't appear suspicious at this time, but it wasn't immediately clear how he died.

The Express-Times reports (http://bit.ly/18w6TfV ) an autopsy is being conducted by the Northampton County Coroner's Office. Police say more information will be released after the results are complete.

BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Police in northeastern Pennsylvania say two men have been arrested after a car chase ended with police discovering a mobile meth lab inside the vehicle.

The Pocono Record reports (http://bit.ly/10xqIBJ ) it happened Tuesday morning in Smithfield Township. Pennsylvania State Police say a trooper tried to make a stop after spotting a vehicle committing a traffic violation, but the driver sped off.

Authorities say that after a brief pursuit, the driver and a passenger fled on foot before being arrested. Police found what they described as a suspected methamphetamine lab in the car.

The driver, 41-year-old Brodheadsville resident Michael Robert Boyle, and passenger, 37-year-old East Stroudsburg resident William Peter Parr, face drug charges and charges of fleeing and eluding police. It could not immediately be determined if either had an attorney.

SCRANTON - A city woman in the process of moving had about $2,500 worth of electronics stolen from her home, police said.

A burglar broke into Charisse Lawson's home at 612 Green Ridge St. sometime between Friday and Monday, by forcing the back door open, acting Capt. Glen Thomas said.

Once inside, the thief stole a 50-inch plasma screen television, a 47-inch TV, a 42-inch TV, a 32-inch TV and a sound system.

Anyone with information is asked to call 348-4139.

Downtown parkers get payment option

Pay meters with coins or phone

A giant model of a brain stationed along a curb between the two courthouses in downtown Scranton visually conveyed a message: the arrival of "smart" parking in the city.

A smartphone payment option for parking meters began Tuesday under a 90-day trial period with the firm Pango Mobile Parking of Baltimore.

Under this new payment method, announced Tuesday by Mayor Chris Doherty and Pango CEO Dani Shavit, parkers may download an app or call or text a phone number that will allow for payment of a parking-meter space via a smartphone.

Founded in Israel in 2005, Pango entered the U.S. market in 2011. The firm operates in 48 cities in the U.S., Europe and Israel.

By eliminating the need for coins at meters, Pango's pay-by-phone method "reduces parking pain to parkers," he said. The option will be available for all city metered spaces and iPhone and Android users.

The city's meters will remain the same and the pay-by-phone rate will be the same as the coin rate - $1 per hour, he said. Parkers may sign up with Pango, free of charge, via the firm's website, www.myPango.com, or by downloading the mobile-phone Pango App, or by calling a toll-free phone number, 877-myPango (877-697-2646). Anyone who signs up with Pango through June will get 10 free parking hours that Pango will pay for, he said.

The city first considered a "smart" meter alternative a few years ago but never implemented it. The 90-day Pango trial period also is not related to bids the city received in August for a 60-day trial run of a parking-meter enhancement program. Pango submitted one of those 60-day trial bids, but the city awarded no contracts.

Instead, the city late last year decided to make the upgrade of meters part of the plan to hire an outside parking meter manager on a long-term basis.

The Pango trial period also is not part of the city's plan for long-term, outside meter management, which has been delayed but is still in the works.

Three bids for parking-meter management opened earlier this month are still under review, and an award of one of the contracts is expected soon, possibly in a few days, said Mr. Doherty and city Business Administrator Ryan McGowan.

The Pango trial period comes at no cost to the city, Mr. McGowan said. With new, long-term meter management having been delayed now for five months, city officials decided to pursue the 90-day Pango smartphone trial system as a way to generate more meter revenue, Mr. McGowan said.

"This trial will go for 90 days. At that point, the city will make a decision on whether to stay with it," he said. "We'll have better numbers. It's all about better information on how we can have better access for parking for individuals coming downtown."

Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com, @jlockwoodTT on Twitter

BALOG, VERONICA KOTCHKO, Peckville, formerly of Jessup, today, 10 a.m., by the Rev. William Marsh at First Presbyterian Church, Third Avenue, Jessup. Interment, Prospect Hill Cemetery, Peckville. Arrangements: Louis M. Margotta Funeral Home, 511 Church St., Jessup. Contributions: First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 83, Jessup, PA 18434.

BARON, ROBERT "BOB," Scranton, Monday, Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., Dunmore, by Rabbi Yisroel Brotsky. Interment, Dalton Jewish Cemetery. Shiva, Community Room of Webster Towers, 500 N. Webster Ave., Scranton, today and Thursday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.; and Friday, 2 to 4 p.m. Contributions: Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1101 Vine St., Scranton, PA 18510; Beth Shalom Congregation, 1025 Vine St., Scranton, PA 18510; Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, 947 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411; or donor's favorite charity.

BARSIGIAN, JACOB, Old Forge, today, 9:15 a.m., Semian Funeral Home, 704 Union St., Taylor. Services, 10, St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church. Interment, parish cemetery. Memorials: St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church cemetery fund, 512 Summer St., Old Forge, PA 18518.

BURMAN, REED H., Ararat Twp., today, 10 a.m., Hennessey's Funeral Home, 747 Jackson Ave., Susquehanna, by the Rev. Lloyd Canfield. Interment, Ararat Cemetery. Contributions: Thompson Hose Company, Thompson, PA 18465.

CICILIONI, JOHN R., Peckville, today, James M. Margotta Funeral Home, 1019 Main St., Peckville. Mass, 9:30 a.m., Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Peckville. Interment, St. Mary's Assumption Cemetery, Montdale.

GIBBS, ALBERT L., Scranton, today, 10:30 a.m., Howard J. Snowdon Funeral Home, 1810 Sanderson Ave., Scranton, by the Rev. Charles Beth. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Calling hours, today, 10 until service. Marine Corps League of Scranton service, 6. Contributions: Marine Corps League, P.O. Box 1775, Scranton, PA 18501.

GILES, JACK, Clifton Twp., today, 5 to 7 p.m., Duffy & Snowdon Funeral Home, 401 Church St., Moscow. Interment, private. Contributions: American Cancer Society, 712 S. Keyser Ave., Taylor, PA 18517; or St. Mary's Villa Nursing Home, 516 St. Mary's Villa Road, Elmhurst Twp., PA 18444.

GRUEN, THOMAS MICHAEL STEVEN, Tunkhannock, today, 11 a.m., Tunkhannock Assembly of God Church, by Pastor Rick Wormer. Interment, Fairview Cemetery, Lake Winola. Contributions: Tunkhannock Ambulance Association or Tunkhannock Assembly of God.

HALABURDA, DOROTHY, Frackville, today, Mass, 11 a.m., St. John the Baptist Polish National Catholic Church, 2nd and Oak streets, Frackville, by the Rev. Robert Plichta officiating. Visitation, today, 9:30 to 11 a.m., church. Burial, St. John the Baptist Polish National Cemetery, Frackville. Arrangements: Nice-Hart Funeral Home Inc., Frackville.

HODOROVICH, MARTHA NAUGIN, Jessup, Tuesday, Mass, St. Michael's Church, Jessup, by the Rev. Joseph Fanti. Pallbearers: Keenan and Chancellor Clark, Michael Hodorovich, Jeremy Ruby, Rocco DePietro and Alex Werner, grandsons. Interment, parish cemetery.

MACKIN, MARY BATTLE, West Wyoming, formerly of Forty Fort, Thursday, 9 a.m., Metcalfe-Shaver-Kopcza Funeral Home Inc., 504 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming. Mass, 9:30, St. Cecilia's Church, Exeter. Interment, St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Exeter. Calling hours, today, 5 to 8 p.m. Contributions: Misericordia Library Fund, Dallas, PA.

MANGINO, HELEN E., Scranton, Tuesday, Mass, St. Rocco's Church, Dunmore, by the Rev. Joseph Cipriano. Pallbearers: Joseph Mangino Jr. and Donny Rose, grandsons; Michael Guigliano and Tony Marciano, nephews; Wally Singer, cousin; and Tony Matybel. Interment, Dunmore Cemetery.

MOSKOWITZ, FLORENCE "FREMIE," Old Forge, shiva, 732 Oak St., Old Forge, through today, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Contributions: Jewish Home of Eastern Pennsylvania, 1101 Vine St., Scranton, PA 18510; Jewish Discovery Center, P.O. Box 778, Waverly, PA 18471, or donor's favorite charity.

MUZZY, ARLENE, Jenningsville, dinner, Friday, 6 p.m., Jenningsville Community Center. Arrangements: Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock.

POLKOWSKI, THOMAS, Hillcrest, N.Y., today, Mass, 10 a.m., St. Francis Church, Port Dickinson. Interment, Chenango Valley Cemetery. Arrangements: William R. Chase & Son Funeral Home, 737 Chenango St., Port Dickinson, N.Y. Contributions: Lourdes Hospice, 4102 Old Vestal Road, Vestal, NY 13850.

RAPOCH, FRANK, Oldsmar, Fla., formerly of Carbondale, Friday, Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, Safety Harbor, Fla.

ROMANO, KATHLEEN, Ransom, Mass, today, 9:30 a.m., St. Lucy's Church, 949 Scranton St., Scranton. Calling hours, 9 until Mass. Arrangements: Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., Old Forge.

RYAN, RITA FRITZEN, R.N., Scranton, Mass, today, 10 a.m., Church of St. Joseph, 312 Davis St., Scranton, by the Rev. Francis L. Pauselli, pastor. Go directly to church. Entombment, Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. Arrangements: Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 517 N. Main St., Old Forge.

SCALZO, ROSELLA A., Carbondale, Tuesday, Mass, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Carbondale, by Monsignor David L. Tressler, pastor. Pallbearers: 2nd Lt. Anthony Carachilo, Gerald Arnese Jr., Michael Arnese, Donald Gibbs, Stanley Horan, Dave Mancuso, David Horan and Francis Carachilo. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Finch Hill.

SEEHERMAN, HARRIET C., formerly of Scranton, today, 10:30 a.m., Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home Inc., 318 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, by Rabbi Joseph Mendelsohn. Interment, Temple Israel Cemetery, Dunmore. Shiva in both Wynnewood and Boynton Beach. Contributions: American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.

STECCO, LORRAINE H., Throop, Tuesday, Blessed Sacrament Parish, by Monsignor Michael Delaney, administrator, and Deacon Richard Kovacs. Pallbearers: Nicholas and Alex Stecco, grandsons; David Stecco, nephew; Virgil and Joseph Runco, and Lenny Sowinski. Interment, St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow.

SULLENBERGER, MARY "LOUISE," Clarks Green, today, 10 a.m., Clarks Green Assembly of God, by the Rev. Glenn White. Interment, Abington Hills Cemetery. Arrangements: Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit.

TOLERICO, MAE, Mayfield, today, 9:30 a.m., Ryczak-Harrison Funeral Home Inc., 901 Lackawanna Ave., Mayfield. Mass, 10, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, by Monsignor Dale Rupert. Interment, Calvary Cemetery, Mayfield. Contributions: Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Wilkes-Barre, PA.

URQUHART, THERESA, Scranton, private. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Arrangements: Bomberger-Lesko Funeral Home Inc., 1660 N. Main Ave., Scranton.

VENTICINQUE, MICHAEL A., formerly of Bronx, N.Y., today, 1 p.m., James Wilson Funeral Home, 143 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel. Calling hours, today, 11 a.m. until service.

VISBISKY, CAROLYN BORIS, Dickson City, Thursday, 9 a.m., Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., 601 Dundaff St. Mass, 9:30, St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City. Interment, St. Mary's Cemetery, Dickson City. Calling hours, today, 5 to 8 p.m.

HARRISBURG - As the state budget deadline nears, a Lackawanna County lawmaker wants Gov. Tom Corbett and public welfare officials to have some face time with human service providers and recipients before determining how much state aid they get.

Rep. Kevin Haggerty, D-112, Dunmore, will introduce a House resolution urging the Corbett administration to agree to face-to-face meetings with agencies providing human services. He said the policy should be carried out by future governors, too.

"The need for such policy has risen from the alarming trend of budget cuts aimed at the Department of Public Welfare since the great recession," Mr. Haggerty said.

Specifically, the lawmaker cited drastic cuts in state aid to county-based family centers and health clinics. He said such meetings could avert some planned cuts and lead to better solutions to chronic funding problems.

Mr. Haggerty's resolution surfaces as the House Republican majority prepares to unveil a $28.3 billion state budget bill today reflecting a tighter state revenue picture since Mr. Corbett unveiled his $28.4 billion proposal in February.

The bill introduction at a Capitol news conference is designed to meet sunshine timetables for the adoption of a state budget by the June 30 deadline at the start of the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Lawmakers face a big question on whether to extend a state block grant program for seven county-run human service programs tried out in 20 counties to the other 47 counties. The block grant covers services for mental illness, mental and physical disabilities, addiction treatment, children and youth, behavioral health and homeless assistance.

Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley said Tuesday the administration's goal is to provide the block grant approach to all counties.

Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, R-18, Bensalem, chairman of the House Human Services Committee, will seek changes in the block grant.

Mr. DiGirolamo wants to restore an $84 million cut made last year to the human services programs.

Meanwhile, Mr. DiGirolamo scheduled a committee meeting next week on his bill.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania announced a star-fueled lineup for its next season of shows Tuesday night with a little help from some stars themselves.

Two cast members from the hit Broadway musical "Jersey Boys," John Michael Dias and Christopher DeAngelis, greeted the crowd gathered at Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple after the league announced the musical's national tour will stop in the city for two weeks in February. People begged the league for years to bring "Jersey Boys" to Scranton, said Tony Nicosia, the league's executive director.

"It's a clear winner," he said.

In addition to "Jersey Boys," the season's main shows will include "Hello, Dolly!" starring Emmy winner Sally Struthers in the title role from Oct. 11 to 13; '80s rock musical "Rock of Ages" from March 28 to 30; "Cirque Dreams Rocks," with circus performers like aerialists and strongmen accompanied by a live band, from April 11 to 13; and "An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin," in which the Tony winners and Broadway legends sing some of the theater's most beloved songs, from May 9 to 11.

Three productions not included in the league's season tickets will include Blue Man Group and one-man comedy "My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy," starring Steve Solomon, on dates to be announced this fall and next spring, respectively, and "Rain - A Tribute to the Beatles," on March 5.

But loudest applause from the crowd came with the announcement of "Jersey Boys," which the league will present from Tuesday, Feb. 4, to Sunday, Feb. 16. Mr. Dias and Mr. DeAngelis spoke on stage about the Tony-winning show, which traces the history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Mr. Dias, who portrays Mr. Valli, then performed excerpts from the Four Seasons songs "My Eyes Adored You" and "Can't Take My Eyes off You."

Mr. Dias credits the music from "Jersey Boys" with helping make the show such a hit.

"It's a portal to a lot of people's childhood," he said after performing, "and it sort of appeals to everyone."

It has a great story, too, added Mr. DeAngelis, a swing in the cast.

"It's rags to riches with no apologies," he said.

The "Jersey Boys" performance schedule will mirror that of a Broadway show, Mr. Nicosia said, with shows running Tuesdays through Sundays. Albert Nocciolino, president and founder of NAC Entertainment, with which the league works to bring shows to Scranton, estimated "Jersey Boys" could give a $7 million boost to the local economy during its stay in the city. The show's cast and crew alone will occupy more than 100 hotel rooms daily, he said.

Mr. Nicosia expects ticket costs will remain close to those from last season.

Contact the writer: cheaney@timesshamrock.com, @cheaneyTT on TwitterNew season

The season's main shows include:

n "Hello, Dolly!", Oct. 11 to 13

n "Jersey Boys," Feb. 4 to 16

n "Rock of Ages," March 28 to 30

n "Cirque Dreams Rocks," April 11 to 13

n "An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin," May 9 to 11

The league also will present three special performances not included with season tickets:

n Blue Man Group, fall 2013

n "Rain - A Tribute to the Beatles," March 5

n "My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy," spring 2014

More information: 342-7784 or www.broadwayscranton.com.

The three presumptive Democratic nominees for Scranton City Council each said Tuesday they also won the Republican nominations through write-in votes.

No official vote totals were completed, but the unofficial Democratic nominees - Councilman Patrick Rogan, Joe Wechsler and Bill Gaughan - said they were working off their own separate compilations of precinct-by-precinct GOP write-ins.

The Lackawanna County elections office will not have those votes tabulated until later this week, Director Marion Medalis said. Mr. Rogan, Mr. Wechsler and Mr. Gaughan won the Democratic nominations, according to unofficial results from the May 21 primary election.

All results are unofficial until an official count is complete. The counting and tabulation of write-in votes is part of the county's official count, which also confirms the vote totals of candidates listed on the ballot.

According to the candidates' own counts of write-in votes: Mr. Rogan was the top vote-getter for the Republican nomination, followed by Mr. Wechsler, Mr. Gaughan and Tim Perry. Mr. Perry, who was fourth by Mr. Gaughan's and Mr. Wechsler's numbers, said he was uncertain where he stood Tuesday afternoon. Efforts to reach the other Democratic candidates with Republican write-in votes, Joseph Matyjevich and Greg Evans, were unsuccessful.

Whether a write-in vote should count can be subject to interpretation. Some voters might misspell a candidate's name or use only a first or last name, making voter intent more difficult to determine.

Partly because of the interpretation involved, Mrs. Medalis declines to announce write-in vote totals and declare nominees until she first has a chance to determine whether a write-in vote should actually count as a vote for a specific candidate and can then tabulate totals. That is expected to happen later this week.

With 163 voting precincts and thousands of write-in votes countywide, counting write-in votes is painstaking and takes a substantial amount of time.

Each city council candidate sought Republican write-in votes because no Republicans were on the ballot. A similar situation that required counting Republican write-in votes exists in several Midvalley boroughs. In other communities with no Democratic candidates, Democratic write-ins must be checked.

Having both nominations solidifies a candidate's chance of winning the November election. Someone who did not win a Democratic nomination in the primary can still gain a chance to win election by getting the Republican nomination. Without either nomination, a candidate's path to election is far harder, though someone can always win election through write-in votes.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.comLuzerne waiting

WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County election workers finished tallying the write-in votes from the May 21 primary, but results won't be official until the election board meets next week. The counting started on Friday was on hold during Memorial Day weekend, and wrapped up Tuesday afternoon.

The Board of Elections will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the courthouse to certify the election results, including write-in tallies and recounts.

Attorneys representing the estate of hit-and-run victim Jean Darsky say they identified the driver who fatally struck the woman on Mother's Day.

They want his assets frozen. They want to inspect and photograph his truck. They want him subjected to a series of questions for a civil lawsuit they promise is coming.

Ms. Darsky, 65, was killed in front of her home at 302 Westminster Road in Jenkins Twp. the afternoon of May 12 while trying to remove a political flier attached to her mailbox.

The fleeing driver was a man who lived a short distance down the road: John Kuniskas, 36, of 1072 Westminster Road, according to emergency court motions filed Tuesday by Darsky family attorneys. A hearing has been set for the motions for July 8.

"This is not a whodunit," said Kingston-based attorney Edward Ciarimboli, who filed the motions with attorney Kevin Boylan. "This is a why-it-happened."

Contact the writer: bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

A West Scranton man faces five years in state prison for his involvement in the death of his 8-month-old son while under the influence of marijuana.

On Tuesday, Lackawanna County Judge Michael J. Barrasse sentenced Reginald Rollins, 25, to 2½ to five years in state prison.

According to the city police investigation launched when they found the dead boy in August 2012, Mr. Rollins smoked marijuana, then got into bed with the boy. When he woke up and found his child dead, he put the boy in a crib to make it appear as though he had died there.

The boy died because of asphyxia, which happened when Mr. Rollins accidentally rolled on top of his child while sleeping, city police said.

Mr. Rollins knew or at least should have known the child was not breathing and chose to put the boy in a crib rather than do what he should have done, call 911, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer McCambridge said.

"By the time they (EMTs) got there the baby was already gone," Miss McCambridge said.

He pleaded guilty in March to one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor grade offense. The child's death was ruled accidental. Charges of recklessly endangering another person and tampering with physical evidence filed against him by city police were later dropped.

Emergency personnel were not called until after the boy's mother came back home, Miss McCambridge said.

According to city police, Mr. Rollins said he "was afraid that he would get in trouble for the baby's death."

Contact the writer: smcconnell@timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter

Popping a wheelie on a motorcycle is a good way to attract attention, especially from state police.

A Gouldsboro man is charged with fleeing police after troopers patrolling the Casey Highway on Monday night spotted a motorcyclist riding on one wheel.

John Huniyack, 19, address unknown, was riding down the highway alongside another rider at 8:40 p.m., state police said. The troopers attempted a traffic stop near the Jessup exit, but Mr. Huniyack and the other rider fled at a high speed toward Archbald, state police said.

It was not clear Tuesday whether Mr. Huniyack was the rider seen driving on one wheel.

Once the pursuit reached Salem and Living Waters roads in Jefferson Twp., Mr. Huniyack lost control of his motorcycle and wrecked. He tried to pick up his motorcycle and speed off again, but state police were able to nudge it with the bumper of a cruiser, disabling the motorcycle, state police said.

The other motorcyclist escaped. Police were working Tuesday to identify him.

Mr. Huniyack was charged with felony fleeing and eluding and was arraigned at the Lackawanna County Processing Center. He also faces 10 driving citations.

He was released after posting $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

Hearing continued in slaying probe

SCRANTON - A preliminary hearing for a man accused of harboring a fugitive wanted for murder was continued Tuesday so all of the co-defendants in the case could have the same court date.

Devante Graham, 18, address unknown, was arrested May 18 on charges he hindered the apprehension of Ryan Harding by harboring him in Scranton while Mr. Harding was on the run. A new date for his preliminary hearing has not been set. Mr. Graham also faces three unrelated drug charges.

Mr. Harding, 18, 519 Taylor Ave., was arraigned Friday for the May 5 murder of 22-year-old Lackawanna College student Rahsan Crowder. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 3. Marlon Clotter, 21, 1024 Capouse Ave., faces similar murder charges for urging Mr. Harding to fire the fatal shot. A preliminary hearing date has not been scheduled after his first court date was continued on May 15.

Kristopher Adkins, 18, 626 S. Irving Ave., is accused of driving Mr. Harding out of state and charged with three felony counts of hindering apprehension and misdemeanor obstruction of justice. His preliminary hearing is still scheduled for Wednesday.

Fueled by its cost-saving and energy efficiency initiative, an elementary school in the Riverside School District earned a statewide award that will help it generate additional revenue.

The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance Energy Education Fund on Tuesday named Riverside Elementary West as one of four schools to receive the first Energy Efficient Schools Award.

The award, sponsored by the alliance and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, recognizes schools that made significant improvements in their energy efficiency over the last year.

The other schools recognized were the Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School in Philadelphia, Northwest Pa. Collegiate Academy and Upper-Perkiomen High School in Pennsburg.

Citing the installation of LED efficient light bulbs and motion sensor lights, school Principal Paul Brennan said recent measures reduced energy consumption throughout the district by more than 5 percent.

Students also played a critical role in the initiative by powering down computers or turning off the lights when leaving empty classrooms, he said.

"It's easy to tell our students to be energy efficient, but we wanted to model expected behaviors," Mr. Brennan said. "It's also a great way to reduce costs in the long run."

For winning, the school can work with EMC2 Development Co. to sell its energy efficiency credits in the PJM Capacity Market, said alliance President Liz Robinson.

The energy efficiency resource is valued at $6,800.

"It's a steady revenue stream, which, with the tight school budgets statewide, can be critical," Ms. Robinson said.

District Superintendent David Woods attributed the school's success to the administration and school board's "ahead of the curve" mentality.

"Our school board challenged the administration to not only save energy, but to teach students how to save energy," he said.

Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter

Man sought for taking son

A Binghamton, N.Y., man is wanted by Duryea police for failing to return his 5-year-old son to the child's grandmother after she gave him custody of the boy for the holiday weekend.

On Monday, Monty Ramey, 22, told the child's grandmother, Deborah Reynolds, of Duryea, that he would not return his son as originally agreed, Duryea Police Chief Nick Lohman said.

Police attempted to contact Mr. Ramey via cellphone, friends, parents, his girlfriend and through social media.

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Mr. Ramey called the boy's grandmother and mother to say the child was with one of his relatives. The boy was recovered and is safe, Chief Lohman said. Mr. Ramey remains at large, Chief Lohman said.

A New York state court previously awarded Ms. Reynolds full custody of the child, Chief Lohman said.

Duryea police are working with police departments in New York after obtaining an arrest warrant for Mr. Ramey on a charge of interfering with the custody of a child, a felony.

Mr. Ramey has brown hair, brown eyes, weighs 165 pounds and stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, police said. He has tattoos on his arms and chest. Police believe he could be driving an older model white Chevrolet pickup truck.

Police are asking anyone with information on Mr. Ramey's whereabouts to call Chief Lohman, 457-1721, ext. 2.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter

OLD FORGE - Ray's Markets will hold a formal opening ceremony Sunday at its Lawrence Street grocery.

The 10 a.m. ceremony will include promotional events, and the store will offer shopping incentives and demonstrations next week to mark the opening, owner Ray Petty said.

Ray's, a ShurSave affiliate, acquired the business last summer from the Rossi family, which had operated it since 1999. Ray's expanded the structure and remodeled it.

In December, a real estate company affiliated with Ray's bought the property from Insalaco's Real Estate for $1.75 million. The market originally had been part of the Insalaco's chain.

PITTSTON - City council made history Tuesday, voting unanimously to pass an ordinance to ensure equal opportunities for employment, housing and public accommodation and equal access to post-secondary educational institutions regardless of one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Pittston became the first municipality to pass such legislation in Luzerne County.

The ordinance states its purpose as ensuring fair and equal treatment of all individuals, and not as favoring one lifestyle over another.

In addition to fostering equality, the ordinance will create the Pittston City Human Relations Commission, which will investigate alleged violations of the ordinance.

City administrator Joe Moskovitz said although the ordinance is not a religious issue, the administration respects the concerns of the religious community.

"We're very sensitive to the religious issues that are raised within this legislation," Mr. Moskovitz said. "(We) cannot be deaf to that."

Despite these concerns, Mr. Moskovitz hopes some of the city's clergy members will serve on the commission, and he is confident in the council's decision.

"It's the right legislation at the right time," he said.

CARBONDALE - With the collapse of the city's upper Williams Avenue bridge, a handful of neighborhood residents expressed concern about the condition of the street's other main point of access.

The approximately 20-foot bridge, which spans Racket Brook to connect a small group of homes to Brook Street, had already been closed for more than a year when part of the bridge fell off an abutment.

The deteriorating lower Williams Avenue bridge, another one-lane span connecting to Spring and Brook streets, has been the main point of access to the area. That bridge now has a 3-ton weight limit.

"There is no way we're going to entertain" fixing the collapsed bridge, Mayor Justin Taylor said.

Mr. Taylor said it is more logical to continue to use the lower Williams Avenue Bridge until that structure can be replaced, but engineers estimate replacing it will cost $550,000.

"We don't have a dime budgeted for it," the mayor said.

Mr. Taylor said state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, already placed the city's proposed $1.7 million creek stabilization project in the state capital budget. If the state OKs the request and releases funding, Mr. Taylor hopes to "rope in" the lower Williams Avenue bridge replacement.

He warned even if the money soon becomes available, it will be several months before work could start, and many approved projects are not approved for funding quickly.

The steep, partially paved Dixon Avenue also connects Williams Avenue to Gravity Avenue and then Canaan Street, although neighborhood resident Ron Ross said that road is not intended to accommodate much traffic.

"I wouldn't want my life depending on an ambulance coming down that road in the wintertime," Mr. Ross said.

Mr. Taylor planned to fence off the collapsed bridge and have it removed.

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter